Fear of failing? reason to not enter nursing program?

Bailando · Mar 10, 2015

I really would love to be a nurse but I feel I am not smart enough to be a nurse or pass the courses so I am holding myself back.
As you might have read from my previous post, I am a single person and so I cannot just quit work to go to school so that worries me all the more.
I am afraid I won't make it in the program and if I don't make it it means I am dumb and it will make me a failure, I will have the failure on my transcript, and people will frown upon my inability to succeed.
Should I let the fear of failure stop me or should I try it? Is being afraid I will fail in itself a sign I should not apply?

I feel the exact same way. I am now on the wait list for the program and should be starting this fall. I have to study way harder than the average person and it gets super stressful and frustrating, but I go on. College hasn't been easy but my dream has Always been to be an rn. I am a cna and I too fear of failing and think I'm not smart enough. I hear about all the rates of failing students and it scares me. I just keep telling myself I have to try my absolute best and that way I don't have regrets and wonder what if?? What if I had gone into the Program and not quit before entering the program. Just give it your all and remember why you're doing it. You're not the only one who is scared and fears to fail. Just give it your all and that's all you can do. Have you take any courses yet for your pre reqs?

fiba · Mar 10, 2015

I really would love to be a nurse but I feel I am not smart enough to be a nurse or pass the courses so I am holding myself back.
As you might have read from my previous post, I am a single person and so I cannot just quit work to go to school so that worries me all the more.
I am afraid I won't make it in the program and if I don't make it it means I am dumb and it will make me a failure, I will have the failure on my transcript, and people will frown upon my inability to succeed.
Should I let the fear of failure stop me or should I try it? Is being afraid I will fail in itself a sign I should not apply?

Try it, if you dedicate yourself to the nursing program as you would with any activity you are good at and passionate about.

You will succeed. If you failed at least you tried, no regrets or what if's and no one will tell you about the program, because you experienced it yourself.

bluegeegoo2, LPN · Mar 10, 2015

The fear of failure is what kept my nose in a book and carried me through the PN program. I am feeling that same fear as I prepare for a go at the bridge program, but I'm going to go for it anyway. f I fail, I fail. The thought of me being in my 60's, 70's, whatever and looking back and thinking "Gee. I wonder if I could have done it," is not a regret I wish to ruminate over in my final years.

Something my Dad used to tell me is "feel the fear and do it anyway." Thanks for that, Dad.

KNicolle67 · Mar 10, 2015

Now is that istn inspiration I dont know what is !!! Great story!!! congrats on all your accomplishments. I hope one day to become and RN and like the the person on that created the topic. I have some reservations myself, but I am going to give it my best shot--nothing beats a failurs. My main problem academically has always been MATH! ALWAYS...!!! It drives me crazy to be so advanced in other areas ; except that freaking Math. I will be taking TEAS V test soon, I do plan on getting the ATI book to prepare---- i guess i just need a miracle. SMH!!!

BecomingNursey · Mar 10, 2015

My main problem academically has always been MATH! ALWAYS...!!! It drives me crazy to be so advanced in other areas ; except that freaking Math. I will be taking TEAS V test soon, I do plan on getting the ATI book to prepare---- i guess i just need a miracle. SMH!!!

I had a really hard time with math also. When taking the pre-requisite courses I started in elementary math and had to build myself up to eventually pre-cal. But you can do it!

I'm not telling you it's going to be easy, I'm telling you it's going to be worth it.

Author: Art Williams

bluegeegoo2, LPN · Mar 10, 2015

Now is that istn inspiration I dont know what is !!! Great story!!! congrats on all your accomplishments. I hope one day to become and RN and like the the person on that created the topic. I have some reservations myself, but I am going to give it my best shot--nothing beats a failurs. My main problem academically has always been MATH! ALWAYS...!!! It drives me crazy to be so advanced in other areas ; except that freaking Math. I will be taking TEAS V test soon, I do plan on getting the ATI book to prepare---- i guess i just need a miracle. SMH!!!

Because of my trepidation with math, I am currently teaching it to myself. For many years, I assumed I was inherently bad at it, until it dawned on me that I never really learned it. It does take me longer to grasp the concepts that most. Because of that, I got left behind in classes and just gave up trying. Now that I can take the time to really learn it and at my own pace, I have been pleasantly surprised to find out that I'm not bad at math at all.

The confidence that I'm gaining in this process is a bonus to the point that I'm almost looking forward to math classes. At the least, the idea of taking a couple of math classes isn't nearly as scary as it was before I decided to enlighten myself.

brandy1017, ASN, RN · Mar 10, 2015

You could probably benefit from counseling before you go back to school. You are placing too much importance on being a nurse and doing well in school. School or work does not define a person, it is not who you are. Failing a class does not mean you are dumb. It may mean you are not good at studying, or are lacking some basic high school teaching where remedial education or reviewing basic science and math may be necessary. If math is your downfall there are plenty of books out there that review basic math and algebra such as Math made easy or Algebra made easy.

My concern is how you are defining your entire self worth on passing a class or becoming a nurse. You are putting too much emphasis on doing something rather than realizing your self worth is who you are not what you do! This is putting a lot of pressure on you and will make it hard for you to succeed. I really think both some counseling and talking to a guidance counselor re job/career options that would be best suited to your abilities and personalities.

Nursing is a very hard, high stress job where it is easy to judge yourself for imperfection. Even I struggle with my own imperfections as I'm not good at IV's. It gets me down when I have to put one in and don't succeed and I know better that one thing shouldn't define me as a nurse. But this does limit my nursing options as many of the easier less stressful jobs require IV savvy!

I think unless you deal with your fears of failure and that you are building your entire self worth on becoming a nurse, you will be setting yourself up to fail! Even if you do succeed in school, what will you do if you have trouble passing boards or working as a nurse or you simply find you don't like it.

I think you should explore all your job/career options before you decide to be a nurse. I don't encourage people to go into nursing. I think it is simply too stressful and also physically dangerous to your back, neck and shoulders with the many morbidly obese patients. I would consider easier jobs such as ultrasound therapy which some community colleges offer or medical assistant or pharmacy tech or medical coder or radiation tech and that's just healthcare jobs.

What are you doing now for a living? What do you like about it? What do you dislike? I would also try to ask ie informational interview anyone you know that works as a nurse and also some of the other jobs I've suggested. An ultrasound therapist makes as much or more than nursing, can specialize and work one on one and not have to juggle many patients. Also more likely to have regular Mon thru Fri hours instead of weekends and holidays!

Good luck to you!

Alnitak7 · Mar 10, 2015

I took a class in a nursing program a long time ago and they had it set up so people would become C.N.A.s by Christmas and then could either quit or go on to be L.P.N.s and then could still continue to be R.N.s. In some places they also offer experienced C.N.A.s a chance to take classes that are not really nursing school but have a lot of the same class material.

advsmuch08 · Mar 10, 2015

It may be helpful to schedule an appointment with an admission counselor to discuss required courses for the program and your concerns. Many schools offer assistance in study skills and tutoring.

littlemango · Mar 10, 2015

I agree with the advsmuch08 about study skills and tutoring. Schools usually do not want their students to fail, so most likely they will have an abundant amount of resources and services for students to succeed!

And I can also relate about failure. Overall, I never really thought of myself as a genius or anything, pretty average in intelligence. However, I've always had confidence. I remember when applying for nursing school I was so gung ho about it until the two weeks leading into it, after orientation. I became extremely nervous, and questioned my own knowledge and ability to think critically. (Also, my mother is a nurse, and growing up I always wondered how I was related to her because to me, her intelligence was off the charts. Amazing critical thinking skills. How was I ever to be like that?) Anyway, the program I am in is one of the best in the country, and knowing of my extremely average intelligence I didn't know if it could meet up to the expectations of the professors of such a good school. However, I can happily say that I've definitely underestimated myself. It isn't as bad as you think, really. You really just need to change your perspective on things. After the first week of of school, I've managed to find ways to handle my stress through a change in perspective, and honestly, it works! Just keep thinking that you can absolutely do this.

A good friend of mine once told me that if you THINK it, it WILL happen. So if you think you will fail, you will fail. Simple as that! If you think you will succeed, absolutely. IT WILL HAPPEN, and you will SUCCEED! Believe me, I am (or was) a constant worrier of the little things that really didn't matter. Ever since I started using this method of thinking in a more positive manner, changing perspectives, I haven't felt overwhelmed by the material at all.

NURSING SCHOOL IS ABSOLUTELY DOABLE! You just have to think you can do it, and you WILL! The mind is a powerful thing.

LadyFree28, BSN, LPN, RN · Mar 11, 2015

I did not pass my first try at nursing school. And guess what? Life went on. I didn't die. It wasn't the end of the world. I picked myself back up, swallowed my pride, and went at it again and made it.

^THIS.

I failed nursing school almost 15 years ago; I've been a nurse 9...life goes on, successes can happen after failures-it makes it much more sweeter.

Go seek some professional counseling; look up this book: Critical thinking and Nursing Judgement by Alfaro-LeFevre on Amazon, make a plan, and go from there.

Best wishes.

GBRKG122 · Mar 11, 2015

Congrats on considering attending nursing school, Infofreak411! :) Definitely check out this video for starters:

because there is no such thing as failure. If anyone knows the pain & stigma with "academic dismissal" on their nursing school transcript it is me. Like a knife to my heart from one of "the best" nursing schools in the country. Being admitted was a dream come true and I never imagined in a million years that I would have "failed." This happened over 7 years ago and to say I was devastated is an understatement. I empathize more than you'll ever know with your fear of failure & nursing school; I wish I had a magic wand so you could jump right into your R.N. education & go for it. Since my first attempt at nursing school, I've tried to turn my fear of failure into remembering that *this* (nursing) is incredibly important to me. My fears have never been helpful; they only kept me paralyzed, stuck, and scared. I don't make the best choices and don't feel like the best version of myself when I am fearful. It's a process to not let fear of failure prevail so I hope you can do a better job of this than me ;o)

The good news: I'm currently in a full-time nursing (BSN) program & working full-time as I go. I convinced myself for years that no nursing school would ever want to accept me. I thought ANYONE would've been a better candidate simply by reviewing transcripts. I let a piece of paper (my transcript) define me while self-doubt prevented me from taking the first step towards my dream of becoming a nurse: the application / admissions process. I absolutely encourage you to apply to nursing school! :) :) :) You have what it takes right now to do this. I'm almost halfway done with my BSN program & I'm so happy I didn't listen to anyone who said, "it's impossible to work during nursing school." I'm especially happy that I didn't let my own fears and negativity prevent me from enrolling in nursing school. If my own work/life/school balance becomes too hard, I know I can address it the best I can when or if that point comes in my nursing education. Key ingredients for me meant really knowing and understanding my own individual situation when applying to schools. Working at my job has really helped me structure and manage my time while making my education affordable. Without work, attending nursing school would've actually been much more difficult, particularly financially. I didn't want to be drowning in student loan debt. I think the key is finding what works best for you & knowing that you need to work while in school is a GREAT way to determine the best program & path to your nursing degree for you. Some institutions frown up working altogether. I'm in a two-year BSN program versus a program shorter in length because I wanted to be confident in my ability to keep up. I would say the majority of students at my nursing program work at least part-time in order to finance their education. I also knew that my job would work well with school: logistically they are geographically close to one another and my job is very supportive of me attending school. My supervisor is a nurse

Knowing yourself & what you want will get you where you want to go. If there are things you can do to make life as a nursing student easier I say go for it. But remember nursing is hard. Even in a "perfect world," I'm convinced I personally would still be struggling to get everything done as a BSN student. For a long time, I thought I needed to be smarter or have more money to go to nursing school. I was waiting for myself and life to be more perfect before I applying. While that never happened (shockingly enough), I tried to create a world in which I hoped I would thrive the best as a BSN Student. I wanted to put myself in the best position to learn optimally and ultimately graduate. Best of luck to you! Plus, there is no harm in applying!